Pros & Cons: Chicago Blackhawks

The Stanley Cup Finals start this Saturday night in Chicago. If you are a fan of the Chicago Blackhawks or the Philadelphia Flyers, congratulations, you are only four wins away from a Stanley Cup. If your team did not make it or you are just a casual fan there is a chance you may not be sure who to cheer for in the finals.

Lucky for you I am here to help you out. Today and tomorrow I will be going through the pros & cons of why you should cheer for each team. I will start with Chicago today because quite frankly, I'm having trouble coming up with reasons to cheer for Philly.

Chicago Blackhawks

Pro's:

Original Six team- They are one of the founding members of the league. I have a soft spot in my heart for all the teams that were around when the NHL started. Anytime one of them reaches the Stanley Cup finals it is a special moment.

The Kids- From forwards Jonathan Toews & Patrick Kane to defenseman Duncan Keith & Brent Seabrook the youth on this team has not only led Chicago to their 1st finals appearance since 1992 but has revitalized what has been a dormant hockey market. The NHL is a lot better as a league with a good Blackhawks team than a bad one.

Rocky Wirtz- If are going to talk about the renaissance of the Blackhawks you have to mention the chairman of the team. since taking over operation of the club after his father Bill passed away everything Rocky has done has worked. The most important thing was letting the home games be televised on WGN. Something his father would not do while he was in charge. It has allowed a whole new generation to become Blackhawk fans.

Antti Niemi- He wasn't even chosen as the back-up goaltender until right before the start of the season. When Cristobel Huet struggled in net during the season coach Joel Quennville started alternating Huet & Niemi in net before deciding to go with Niemi. all he has done is win 12 games in the playoffs with a save percentage of .921 and a goals against average of 2.33.

Joel Quennville- Not only is he a great coach but he has always been one of my favorite people in the game of hockey. It is nice to see him finally reach the Finals after coming up short in St. Louis & Colorado. Plus he has one of the best mustaches in the game.

Their jersey & logo- Whenever you talk about which teams have the best jersey or logo in any sport Chicago is right at the top of the list. I may not love it as much as other people do but it is a pretty sweet logo.

United Center crowd- Let me just clarify, these are not bandwagon fans. They have always cared about their team they just needed a reason to. They have it now that the Blackhawks have become relevant again. Plus the cheering during the anthem is one of the cooler things to see.

1961- It's the last time Chicago won the cup and it is the longest drought in the NHL. This may be the best reason to cheer for or against  the Blackhawks.

Con's:

Patrick Kane- Don't get me wrong, I think he's a great player but after his negative comments against Detroit last year I'm not a big fan. The fact he wears the number 88 doesn't help.

Marian Hossa- Great player but disappeared last season during the Stanley Cup Finals. I wouldn't have a problem with this except for the fact that he signed with Detroit because he felt they had the best chance to win the cup. Of course it's hard to score a goal with both hands around your neck.

Ed Belfour- OK, he hasn't played there since 1997 but I never liked him when he played with Chicago. I always thought he was overrated and the only reason his name is on the cup is because Brett Hull's skate was in the crease. (Yes, I'm still bitter about it.)

Al Secord- I was way too young and not living in the Twin Cities when he played for the Blackhawks but a lot of my co-workers here remember him when he played for Chicago. He was public enemy number one when he played against the North Stars always followed by a chant of Secord sucks. That's good enough for me.

Bill Wirtz- I don't want to speak ill of the dead but his stubborn ways and refusal to change with the times turned a hockey hotbed cold and they are still coming back from it. The Blackhawks are in one of the best sports markets in all of America and should never be second fiddle to an AHL squad like they were about five to seven years ago.

I'm a Red Wings fan- Granted this has been more of a feud than a rivalry the last ten seasons but these two teams have a history with one another. If you like one team you don't like the other which is how it should be.

Those are some of the reasons I could come up with to cheer for or against Chicago. If there are any reasons that I may have missed or that you have feel free to let me know. I'll have a pros & cons list for Philadelphia tomorrow. Until then, thanks for reading.